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No. 62!,290. Patented Mar. l4, I899. 12. m. snowu.

BADGE.

(Application filed Oct. 5, 1896.)

(No Model.)

W; fiwmndiuaylhfimmwmmmma a? V BY M F$ ATTORNEY UNTTED STATES PATENT@rrrcn.

CORNELlUS M. BROWN, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- IIALF TOGEORGE L. NEVIUS, OF SAME PLACE.

BADGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 621,290, dated March14, 1899.

Application filed October 5, 1896.

To (0 whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CORNELIUS M. BROWN, 'a citizen of the United States,residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Badges, Boutonnieres,&c.; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The objects of this invention are to provide a badge in which thelegend=plates or plates carrying the designs, legends, symbols,words, orother imprints or impressions may be quickly and convenientlyinterchanged, so that the one badge may at different times be made topresent to view different designs; legends, 850., to suit variousconditions; to enable a badge-button, such as is commonly worn with asuspending-ribbon, to have its plates or mottoes changed within thelimits prescribed by the more general inscription on the ribbon; tofacilitate the interchange of such legend-plates, and to obtain otheradvantages and results, some of which may be referred to hereinafter inconnection with the description of the working parts.

The invention consists in the improved badge and in the arrangements andcombinations of parts, all substantially as will be hereinafter setforth and finally embraced in the clauses of the claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters ofreference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several views,

nular or cylindrical part 0. forms a short Serial No. 607,866. (Nomodel.)

chamber adapted to receive the legend-plates b, Fig. 2, and other partshereinafter described, and a flange a, which is attached at one end ofthe said cylindrical or annular portion, is turned backward, so as tolie close at its outward edges to the lapel of the coat and conceal thecylindrical portion a from View. The said flange portion projectsslightly in- ;ward beyond the edge of the cylindrical portion and formsa stop or bearing a, against which a certain transparentprotecting-plate 0 lies and is prevented from being forced out from thecasing. Said protecting-plate serves the double function of covering andprotecting the legend-plates and of holding the thin and flexiblelegend-plates flat and smooth when pressed forward by the spring. At therear end of the cylindrical portion of the casing I have attached byahinge a shank carrying rear plate (1, the hinge connection being shownat c, Fig. 3, and a suitable catchat f for holding the rear plate inclose relation to the casing. At the rear side of the said rear plate01, at the center thereof, is fastened the shank g, having the shoe h,said shank and shoe being of the shape commonly found in cuff-buttonsand the like. These parts are preferably made of metal, though they maybe of celluloid or like plastic material or any other material adaptedfor the purpose.

To the inner side of the rear plate d is attached a spring 1', andwithin the case is arranged the plurality or collection ofinterchangeable legend-plates b and the transparent protecting-plate c.The spring t', when the rear plate is closed and fastened by the catchf, bears against the back of the legendplates and holds the same,together with the transparent protecting-plate c, outward against thestop-bearing d, the plate 0 lying flush with or approximately flush withthe outer face of the flange andthe legend upon the outer legend-platebeing thus clearly in View.

The legend-plates are preferably made of thin cardboard, but may be ofcelluloid or any other suitable material.

While I desire to employ a series of legendplates bearing variousdesigns, insignia, or legends which are interchangeable one with theother, so that at the convenience of the wearer the legend may bequickly changed to suit varying new conditions which may arise, I mayhave in each casin g a single legend-plate.

I may employ in connection with the flange a rosette n, of textilefabric or other material, such as shown in Fig. 4. This is suitablyfastened behind the flange, the latter serving to protect and concealthe inner edges of the' said fabric, where the latter is sewed togetherin folds to hold it in proper ornamental relation, or I may employ aribbon n, with the suitable insignia or design thereon, as shown in Fig.5. When said ribbon n is employed, I may perforate the flange a, as at min Fig. 5, to enable the said ribbon to be sewed in suitable suspensoryrelation to the body of 1 the badge. By thus inserting the button in arosette or ribbon I provide a badge which may be changed and madesuitable on a variety of occasions, the inscription or design of theribbon being made of a general character and each one of theaccompanying set of button-plates bearing a legend or device suited tosome particular occasion and also,

in harmony with that of the ribbon. In this way one badge may sufficeinstead of several and various different occasions be provided forwithout the expense of a separate badge for each;

In operating the improvement, to change the plates to exhibit a new ordifferent legend I simply open the back or rear plate cl, turning thesame on its hinge with the springi and shank or attaching means, no carebeing required to hold said parts in their relative positions, becauseof their attachment to one another. I then simply thrust the frontholding and protecting plate a backward by entering the finger throughthe front opening, when the collection of legend plates are forced outand free to receive a new arrangement, so that a different legend willbe presented to view at the front. The newarrangement being eifected, Isimply close the back plate, when it will catch and hold the spring andshank in proper relative position automatically.

It is evident that various modifications may be made in the constructionof the badge. For example, instead of usingthc shank and shoe, asindicated, I may pin the casin g to the garment in any manner common inthis line of art.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim asnew is- 1. A badgecomprising a casing and a ribbon or rosette surrounding said casing,said casing having at its forward end a peripheral flange bent backwardand perforated at. its edges to afford means for fastening to saidsurrounding ribbon or rosette, and an interior annular flange, a backplate closing the rear end of the casing and hinged thereto, said backplate having at its inner surface a spring extending into said casingfree from contact therewith, and a protecting-plate and collection oflegend-plates within said casing pressed forward by said spring againstthe interior annular flange, substantially as set forth.

2. In a badge, the combination of the cylindrical casing having aperipheral flange bent backward from the front end thereof to concealsaid casing at its sides, said flange being provided with perforationsat or near its edge, a ribbon or like fabric surrounding said casing andfastened thereto, and the cylindrical casing for holding interchangeablytherein a series or collection of plates differently mottoed, printed,or otherwise designed, said plates being adapted to be independentlypresented to view in connection with said ribbon or fabric piece,substantially as set forth.

3. In a badge, the combination of a casing having a peripheral frontflange bent backward and concealing from view the body of said casing,said flange having at or near its edge perforations whereby a ribbon orlike fabric piece may be attached, means at the rear of said casing forattaching it to a garment and holding it in an upright position, and acollection of plates difierently inscribed or designed and adapted to bearranged in said casing and presented to view one at a time,substantially as set forth.

4. The improved badge, comprising an inclosed casing having atransparent plate at the front and being adapted to containlegendplates, a back plate hinged to said casin g and having a springattached to the inner or front side thereof and a shank or equivalentfastening means at the outer or rear side, said spring being free fromthecasing to press the legend-plates forward against the inside of thetransparent plate, said casing having flush with its forward end aperipheral flange perforated and bent backward to conceal the casing, asuspensory ribbon mottoed or otherwise designed attached to said flange,all arranged and combined substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this30th day of September, 1806.

CORNELIUS M. BROWN.

Witnesses:

CHARLES H. PELL, O. B. PITNEY.

